So I'm trying to make a chipotle-infused olive oil...I used a dried chipotle in order to keep the moisture out, but my pepper just isn't dense enough! After a few days in the oil it's still floating at the top and hasn't imparted its flavour. Does anyone know if there was a special technique I should have used or if I'm just being too impatient?

Oooo! I hope you'll get an answer 'cause I'd really like to know about the process as well. My understanding is that, while you can safely use infused vinegars, introducing other elements into oils can set up bacterial environments that are unsafe. And I'm inclined to take that caveat seriously as I've had gifts of infused oils that got some pretty science fair stuff going on in them over time.

So I'm trying to make a chipotle-infused olive oil...I used a dried chipotle in order to keep the moisture out, but my pepper just isn't dense enough! After a few days in the oil it's still floating at the top and hasn't imparted its flavour. Does anyone know if there was a special technique I should have used or if I'm just being too impatient?

You may want to pay a visit to a book store and look up some of Michael Chiarellos books, he's big on infused oils.
That being said, if I were going to attack it I would do 2 versions.
#1 - Warm the olive oil, maybe to 80 to 90 degrees F. Slice open a chipotle pepper from a can and put one of those in. Let the oil cool and try it.
#2 - Warm the olive oil and slice open a dried chipotle pepper. Drizzle pepper with olive oil and toast in pan gently. Just enouh to loosen it up and then put in olive oil and let cool.
People use herbs with moisture in them for infusing oils, I wouldn't worry too much about the chile.

Hi
To extract the flavour into the oil soak first in vodka if you happen to know any one who has a still, ask if you could borrow a bottle of very strong grain unflavored spirit.. it is by far the best as it should be about 70 - 90 pure. make sure they have passed it though activated charcol, then restilled it, They might even recover the alcahol for reuse latter as they have the eqipment, why waste perfectly good hooch.

chop up dried Chile into a air proof jar ... just cover with moonshine..
watch it each day don't let the top dry... a weight is a fine idea

WARNING DONT DRINK THE LIQUID it will peal the skin off an elephant.

after 2 months place in blender till very smooth. then strain through cloth, wear gloves this is now so strong it is dangerous. But keep some like this to try in cooking. Great for sauces. use just like Tabasco

almost at a simmer (100 degrees) in a pot to lose all the alcohol as it reduces replace the liquid with oil. Should be coloured but quite clear at this point.

bottle and handle with care. wear gloves, eye protection and barrier cream on all exposed skin

Next time the boys are having a im tough I can eat any hot stuff...
a drip and no more in a teaspoon will settle the dispute.

Have you tried Peri-Peri? There is a recepie in one of The Frugal Gormet cookbooks for it, I can't look it up since I'm at work. It may go by portugese hot sauce now that I think about it.

Basically it is something like 1 cup olive oil to 1/2 cup Jack Daniels. Drop in a bunch of African Devil peppers and seal in a jar with a tight lid. Leave it by the door and shake it up real good on the way out every day for a month or so. You can strain out the peppers if you want otherwise leave them in, either way it was pretty damn hot. I remember having that on chicken when I was younger and not being told, not fun.

I imagine you'd be able to drop in any peppers and get a similar sauce. You could probably dial in the level of heat by controling the number & type of peppers going in.

I'll try to get the actual recepie from the book if anyone is interested.

The chipotle oil sounds great! you might want to try re-hydrating it and then try blending the chili with some of the oil you are using, until it is totally liquified. Strain the pureed oil through cheescloth, but DO NOT wringe it out. Just let it drain itself for about an hour, then add the rest of the oil and refridgerate for about a week or more. It must be refridgerated though or it will create bacteria from the moisture. Good luck and I hope it works.

Oooo! I hope you'll get an answer 'cause I'd really like to know about the process as well. My understanding is that, while you can safely use infused vinegars, introducing other elements into oils can set up bacterial environments that are unsafe. And I'm inclined to take that caveat seriously as I've had gifts of infused oils that got some pretty science fair stuff going on in them over time.

____________________________________________

Most bad bacterias wont kill you .

Some are absolutely fatal . Its these that excite
people into thinking food born B' are dangerous .
Most bacterias that will grow in food are not fatal .

I don't worry about B' , it hasnt killed anyone
i know .

BTW I have something that may not kill you
but it may cause you to go ballistic .

White sugar is not at all harmful , eaten in large
quantities .
It does not use bleach to get white .
It is composed of a C-12 sucrose and splits
in water to Glucose and fructose .
You body loves glucose and fructose .
It can not cause diabetes ( D' is congenital) .
There is nothing of any significance in table sugar .
Starch is converted to Glucose leaving your mouth
but the stomach is for meat , so starch is slowed a bit
then speeded up to Glucose in small intestine .
This can go directly into your blood , or stored
in liver or converted to fat . Sugar to fat ?
Yep , the healthy human can convert carbs to
anything , even amino acids can be built from carbs
plus Nitrogen from the storage sites .
Americans do 700 mg / day aminos , dump
100 mg .
Some healthy Americans intake 0 mg and dump 0 mg
This proves you need ZERO protein .
I havent had meat in a long time , i dump 0 mg's .
The human can store Nitrogen for long periods and
then use it to repair the protein structure of the body .
Now hand a BLT melt pls . I love bacon .

The colon is one site . NH3 uptake is thru the intestinal
walls , Converted to NH4+ , it is dumped ( cant be
assimilated) . Your body balances this way .
Never force your "regularity" , it upsets the chemical
factory in your intestines . It dumps useful NH3 , K2 ,
some trace elments , Lactobacillus Acidopholus/bulcaricus
Like in "LACTINEX" replacement . You will feel bad for weeks
if you move the tunnel too fast .
I take milk and cheese to slow my intestines to proper .

In Thailand they import great Australian cheddar w/o annato .
But sometimes the stupid Thias put formaldehyde on it !
Like Jan 20 2006 , i got sick for 3 days . ID it as a very
unnatural opaque white color , rather than the ussual
yellow color of cheese rind .
East Bangkok , FOODLAND store , Latprao about soi 86 ?

Since I'm impatient, I usually use this technique to make garlic flavored oil, where you basically put some minced garlic into some oil, and then microwave it for 10-20 seconds. I use it immediately, and only make enough for the recpie at hand.

Since I'm impatient, I usually use this technique to make garlic flavored oil, where you basically put some minced garlic into some oil, and then microwave it for 10-20 seconds. I use it immediately, and only make enough for the recpie at hand.

Maybe this technique would work for the chipotle?

I would also vote for this method, moist food storage and oil is a hazardous mix!